World War I War Service

 

 

Given today’s World War I anniversary, it seemed an ideal time to give some information on what the Guides did in World War I.  As war broke out, the organisation was very young – only four years old – and though the Guides were keen, their numbers were few.  The initial advice to the Guides was not very thrilling – doing good turns for the women whose menfolk had been called up, helping in hospitals, rolling bandages, knitting garments for soldiers, collecting books and magazines, and planting food crops.  Companies were asked to offer their services to the local first aid societies or hospitals, or relief committees.  In the early days of the war many were involved in making bandages and helping prepare temporary hospitals.  Hedgerow fruits were collected for preserving, and fundraising performances held for a range of causes.  They cooked meals, cleaned, and ran errands at hospitals, in those pre-NHS days.  They were encouraged to set up their meeting places as hospitals in case of zeppellin raids, and have then equipped and staffed ready for use.  A War Service badge was introduced, and soon they were involved in making sandbags too.  In January 1916, the Guides war fund was started, with the aim of opening a ‘rest hut’ where soldiers who were away from the front line for a spell could use facilities such as a reading room, billiards table, and canteen, to be staffed by volunteer Guiders serving a minimum of 3 months each.  By May 1916 it had already been opened and started operating, and by the time the fund closed at the end of July 1916 several motor ambulances had also been purchased.